Demond Claiborne ran 3 yards for his third touchdown with just 1:01 left, helping Wake Forest overcome a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat NC State 34-30 on Saturday.
Claiborne finished the game with 136 rushing yards on 20 carries, scoring two rushing touchdowns and one touchdown catch. Hank Bachmeier threw two touchdown passes as Wake Forest (2-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) ended a three-game losing streak.
“Just kind of savor this one,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. “I’m tired, I’m shot and I’m really, really proud of our football team. That was special.”
The Demon Deacons made two fourth-down conversions on a 13-play, 65-yard drive that led to the winning score. Branson Combs sealed the victory by intercepting a pass on NC State’s next possession.
“Gutsy call by them,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said about Wake Forest’s gamble on the final possession. “They made plays and we didn’t.”
CJ Bailey threw two touchdown passes in relief, but NC State (3-3, 0-2) has yet to win back-to-back games this year. The Wolfpack lost starting quarterback Grayson McCall, who left the game after taking a hard hit in the first quarter.
This was the second time this season that Bailey stepped in for McCall, but he couldn’t lead the Wolfpack to a comeback like he did on September 14 against Louisiana Tech.
Bachmeier’s performance was modest, completing 16 of 32 passes for 154 yards, but he made crucial plays when needed.
“It wasn’t his best statistically game, but he’s the winning quarterback,” Clawson said.
Wake Forest closed the gap to 30-20 when Claiborne ran for a 32-yard touchdown with 8:43 left. The final drive was filled with excitement, as Clawson decided to skip a potential tying field goal on the second fourth-down attempt.
